News Room Archives

A charge is an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty. If you have any questions regarding anything published herein, please contact the Public Information Office at 973.579.0865, ext. 2010.

Sheriff’s OfficeNews Room: December 2012

Traffic stop leads to warrant arrest

Posted: December 26, 2012

Arrested: Jenna A. Agens, age 31, of Newton, NJ.

On Wednesday, December 19, 2012, while assigned to traffic enforcement within Hampton Township, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty initiated a motor vehicle stop on a vehicle with an inoperative brake light.

While speaking with the operator of that vehicle, Officer Haggerty observed that one of the passengers was a woman he recognized as Jenna Agens. Believing her to be the subject of an outstanding Sussex County Superior Court warrant, Officer Haggerty asked her to confirm her identity. Agens then provided Haggerty with a fictitious name.

Further investigation revealed the existence of both a Sussex County Superior Court warrant and several other warrants for her arrest issued by municipalities in Morris County.

Officer Haggerty placed Agens under arrest and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing.

Agens was issued a summons for providing false information to a law enforcement officer and given a future court date to appear in Green Township Municipal Court. She is currently lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Sheriff’s officers arrest Wantage man for DWI

Posted: December 26, 2012

Arrested: Gerard J. Pollastro, age 40, of Wantage Township, NJ.

At approximately 10:00 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, December 20, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling was assigned to traffic enforcement within Wantage Township. While patrolling that area, she observed a motor vehicle operated by Gerard Pollastro failing to maintain his lane of traffic.

After initiating a motor vehicle stop, speaking with Pollastro, and observing him attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, Sheriff’s Officer Schilling found him to be intoxicated.

Officer Schilling took Pollastro into custody and transported him back to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was processed and released pending a future court appearance in Wantage Township Municipal Court. He was issued summonses for reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and driving while intoxicated.

Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty and Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.

Disabled motor vehicle leads to drug arrest

Posted: December 26, 2012

Arrested: Joseph F. Zalewski, age 19, and Mackenzie S. Healy, age 19, both of Newton, NJ.

On Saturday, December 15, 2012, while on county-wide mobile patrol, Sheriff’s Officer John Swords encountered a disabled motor vehicle on the side of a road in Hampton Township.

Sheriff’s Officer Swords pulled over to assist the occupants of the vehicle. Further investigation revealed the presence of a quantity of marijuana and a smoking pipe.

Both Zalewski and Healy were arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where they were processed and released pending a future court date in Green/Fredon/Hampton/Andover Borough Joint Municipal Court.

Joseph Zalewski was issued summonses for possession of a controlled dangerous substance in an amount less than 50 grams and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle.

Mackenzie Healy was issued summonses for possession of a controlled dangerous substance in an amount less than 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff’s officer arrests man at courthouse

Posted: December 26, 2012

Arrested: John C. McCurdy, age 35, of Dover, NJ.

On Monday, December 10, 2012, while assigned to courthouse security at the Superior Court in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Joseph Cahill encountered John C. McCurdy. Believing him to be the subject of an outstanding municipal court warrant, Officer Cahill detained McCurdy and confirmed the existence of three separate municipal court warrants for his arrest.

Officer Cahill immediately placed McCurdy under arrest and transported him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. McCurdy was processed and lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility until such time as he could be transported to the Morris County Jail.

Fugitive jumps out window to evade arrest, captured anyway

Posted: December 12, 2012

Arrested: Russell Decker, age 29, of Sussex Borough, NJ.

On Wednesday, December 5, 2012, sheriff’s detectives Matt Caine and William Lunger located Russell Decker at his residence in Sussex Borough. Upon hearing detectives Caine and Lunger identify themselves, and correctly surmising there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, Decker jumped out of a second floor window and ran away from the residence to escape capture.

Detectives Caine and Lunger, along with multiple other sheriff’s officers, several New Jersey State Police troopers, and a sheriff’s K-9 unit were deployed to the area but were unable to locate Decker. An additional warrant was subsequently issued for Russell Decker charging him with resisting arrest by flight and obstruction of the administration of law.

Five days later, on Monday, December 10, 2012, detectives Caine and Lunger again located Russell Decker at his residence in Sussex Borough. Decker again attempted to evade capture, this time by hiding underneath his bed. Decker was located under the bed and taken into custody. Further investigation revealed a small quantity of marijuana on his person.

Decker was issued summonses for resisting arrest and possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and given a future court date to appear in Wantage Municipal Court.

Decker was transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he remains lodged in lieu of $10,000 bail with no 10% option.

Sheriff’s K-9 assists Hopatcong police at DWI checkpoint

Posted: December 12, 2012

On Friday, December 7, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Kieran McMorrow and his narcotics detection canine “Atlas” were assigned to assist the Hopatcong Police Department at a DWI traffic checkpoint they were conducting.

K-9 Atlas searched the exteriors of approximately 25 motor vehicles that drove through the checkpoint that evening. While searching the exterior of three of those vehicles, K-9 Atlas indicated he detected the presence of the odor of narcotics. Subsequent searches of the interiors of those vehicles revealed the presence of controlled dangerous substances in all three cars. A quantity of marijuana was discovered in two of the vehicles and a quantity of crack/cocaine was discovered in the third. All subjects were arrested by Hopatcong police and charged accordingly.

Sheriff’s officers arrest two on outstanding warrants

Posted: December 11, 2012

Arrested: Ryan Tucker, age 32, of Hardyston and Ryan Manca, age 30, of West Caldwell, NJ.

On Tuesday, November 27, 2012, while assigned to fugitive apprehension duties, Detective William Lunger and Sheriff’s Officer Chris Megna located Ryan Manca at his residence. Manca was the subject of an outstanding Sussex County Superior Court warrant. He was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he remains lodged without bail.

That same day, sheriff’s officers John Freykar and Tim Hecht, also assigned to fugitive apprehension, located Ryan Tucker at his residence. Tucker was the subject of an outstanding Passaic County Superior Court warrant. He was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. He was subsequently turned over to the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office to be transported to the Passaic County Jail.

Sheriff’s officers arrest Franklin man at home

Posted: December 4, 2012

Arrested: George Meyer, age 59, of Franklin, NJ.

On Thursday, November 29, 2012, sheriff’s officers John Swords and Chris Megna were assigned to warrant apprehension duties. At approximately 9:45 p.m., officers Swords and Megna located George Meyer at his residence. He was the subject of multiple outstanding arrest warrants from local municipalities.

Meyer was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he is currently lodged in lieu of $639.00 bail.

A charge is an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty. If you have any questions regarding anything published herein, please contact the Public Information Office at 973.579.0865, ext. 2010.